Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin has reminded European officials in Paris that Russia pledged to protect and support the people inhabiting the Crimean peninsula more than two centuries ago.
“The 1783 Manifesto of Catherine the Great on the accession of the
Crimean peninsula to the Russian Empire and the establishment of the
Taurida region guaranteed protection to the peoples living there and
recognition of their cultural and religious uniqueness,” Naryshkin said
at a seminar marking the 60th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s
admission to UNESCO on Tuesday.
Back then, the population of Crimea was given the same rights as all the other people living in the Russian Empire, he said.
“And in accordance with the document [the treaty on Crimea’s
accession to the Russian Federation and the establishment of new
constituents within Russia], which was ratified by the State Duma on
March 20, 2014, the Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages
became the state languages of the Republic of Crimea,” Naryshkin said.
This high status, which was assigned to these three languages
simultaneously, is the best legal guarantee of their further
development, he added.
